Please note: this article pre-dates the 2014 National Curriculum and some content may be outdated.

The London 2012 Olympics presents a fantastic opportunity for cross-curricular teaching. All children are likely to be engaged on some level, with different countries represented in a variety of sports, huge coverage in the news and in school with activities such as sweepstakes. Using a live topic provides ‘children the opportunity to contextualise learning in meaningful experiences' (Rowley, 2009, p.24), while a cross-curricular approach allows children to ‘make connections, not just within the subjects but between them in order to consolidate their learning' (Rowley, 2009, p.11). ICT can also be used to motivate children perhaps not interested in sport, and linking in with other subjects may add to the appeal of the topic. This article describes a history/geography lesson and ideas for cross-curricular teaching opportunities, including the use of ICT...